Patna: Bihar Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary on Friday promised strict action, including suspension of finance department officials, over delay in release of funds for payment of salaries to school teachers in the state.

"Strict action will be taken against errant officials, including stopping their salaries and suspension if they do
not mend their ways," he said.

Ashok Choudhary. Image credit: Twitter/@AshokChoudharyD

Chaudhary said this while replying to a question by JD(U) MLC Sanjeev Kumar Singh in the Legislative Council that
payment of salaries of school teachers were delayed due to non-release of funds by finance department officials.

The minister said funds have been made available for payment of salaries to the school teachers up to March this
year.

But salaries were paid up to September or October last year in most of the districts as it took time to sort out
wages of the teachers following the government's decision to take contractual teachers on regular payroll, he said.

Delay in payment of salary to lakhs of school teachers had invited the ire of Bihar State Human Rights Commission
recently.